'We popped the bottle and shared glasses as I posed with the bottle and my first ever glass of champagne.'
There are plenty of reasons to celebrate today. This series of images has me wanting to raise a glass, toast and celebrate. Not only did this shoot include the Rustin's first taste of champagne, it also marked his first trip to the big apple. For me personally, I'm also celebrating the return of photographer Wes Triplett and the team from
New Manhattan Studios.
It's been a few years since I featured Wes, and work of NMS and there have been some changes in the studio's team over that time. I know most
FH readers remember Alex, Wes' long time assistant, not to mention model and muse. If you check out the
FH archives, (
HERE:) you'll see many shoots with Alex in spotlight, and many other shoots with Alex featured in outtakes and behind the scenes visuals.
In addition to assisting with the work load, can capturing those behind the scenes moments, Wes has always felt having a small team on set also helps models feel comfortable. Conversation tends to flow easier and there is always someone able to answer a model's questions, especially if Wes is busy with organization and set-up. It is especially beneficial with models new to the industry and new to shooting nudes. This was certainly the case with the red-hot
Rustin who is making his
FH debut.
Although Rustin is new to FH, I'm guessing a few keen eyed viewers might recognize the incredible location. In addition to Wes, there are two other members of the NMS creative team, Kevin and Marc. The shoot actually took place in Marc's apartment, a space Wes loves to shoot in, especially because of the fantastic light that it provides.
In addition to providing the shooting location, Marc's apartment also provided a room for Rustin to stay in when he visited New York City. On the day of the shoot, Rustin had already been at the location for a couple of days so was familiar and comfortable in the space. Although initially Marc's was only providing the space, but Wes quickly put him to work.
Initially Marc shot mostly taking behind the scenes shots but before long, he was multi-tasking with styling, reflector holding and PA work. For this shoot with Rustin, Kevin wielded the second camera and Marc handled the reflector, rearranged the furniture, as well taking b-t-s shots.
If those duties weren't enough, Wes is pretty sure that he remembers it was Marc, who happens to be French, who decided to pull out a bottle of champagne. This gesture however, caused a small dilemma for Wes, due to the studio's rule against having alcohol or drugs on shoots. In this case however, Wed decided to make an exception.
The bottle of champagne fit so well into the celebratory nature of the shoot not to mention that 22-year-old Rustin was so enthusiastic, sharing that he'd never tasted champagne before. Rustin and the NMS crew all had just a sip or two before Wes asked that they save the rest and celebrate at the end of the session.
'I think my favorite memory from the shoot was when Marc popped a bottle of real champagne from France for me. I had yet to have real champagne but love Prosecco and the sparkling wine they make here in the States. We popped the bottle and shared glasses as I posed with the bottle and my first ever glass of champagne haha!'
Rustin initially connected with Wes and NMS through his former agency, who had worked previously with Wes many times. Rustin describes working with NMS as a great experience, from their professionalism, to the encouragement and direction they provided. This was especially significant to Rustin given he was still relatively new to modeling, only having worked for a couple of months before this shoot. Rustin also enjoyed the super cozy atmosphere that Wes and his team created for both the shoot, and his time in the city

Despite it being Rustin's first trip to New York, not to mention it being one of his first, explicit commercial sessions, Wes remembers the young model as not only professional, but also open and comfortable with the shooting process. So comfortable in fact, that Rustin's hesitation with having full nudes published, changed after having such a positive experience. This meant Wes was ablet to create and edit a photo essay from the session. You can see much more of Rustin in the the photo essay,
First Champagne, that you can preview and purchase on the NMS site. (
HERE:)
Rustin's near-perfect physique, great looks and engaging personality make him one of the top models we've had in front of our cameras. We look forward to working with him again and have a second session scheduled for next month.